DAVIS, Calif. – Dark Heart Industries, California’s leading cannabis genetics company, has announced the opening of its new cannabis biotechnology research and innovation laboratory in Davis, CA, near the main campus of the University of California.
The new lab will enable Dark Heart to deliver advanced science-based solutions and innovations to its customers while also creating jobs and development opportunities for scientists interested in working in cannabis. The lab is a key asset in Dark Heart’s plan to develop and introduce modern commercially improved genetics into the cannabis space, including stable, hybrid cannabis seed. The lab will help Dark Heart maintain its leading position in the emerging field of cannabis AgTech, a field that is expected to generate billions of dollars in value for cannabis farmers over the coming decade.
“Ever since Dark Heart opened the industry’s first tissue culture lab in 2015, we’ve been committed to leading the industry in bioscientific innovation,” said Dark Heart founder and CEO, Dan Grace. “This new laboratory facility gives us an important platform for our industry-leading genetic breeding and plant health initiatives and is another important milestone in our growth.”
The company also opened a new 70,000 sq. ft. production and research facility in 2020. Located in Half Moon Bay, CA, the campus houses one of the state’s largest cannabis nurseries, from which more than one million plants were produced last year, representing nearly 10% of all cannabis grown legally in California.
Dark Heart created the first cannabis-specific plant diagnostics lab in the industry, helping growers to identify, diagnose, and treat plant health issues in their grows. Among the earliest scientific teams to use advanced genomic technologies for cannabis, Dark Heart researchers were first to identify that hop latent viroid (HLVd) was responsible for cannabis dudding disease, a condition responsible for causing crop loss in up to 30% of all commercial cannabis in California.
“As cannabis evolves from traditional growing practices toward modern large-scale agriculture, the opportunities for genetic breeding and the need for diagnostic and curative services is exploding,” said Dr. John Yoder, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of UC Davis and Science Advisor for Dark Heart.
The new facility brings together a diverse team of bioscience experts from many disciplines, allowing Dark Heart to accelerate research activities in plant tissue culture, genetics, molecular breeding, trait identification, and diagnostics.
“Our new laboratory ensures that the best people have access to the best technology,” said Dr. Jeremy Warren, Ph.D., Director of Plant Science and Laboratory Director for Dark Heart. “We continue to invest in cutting edge science to pioneer innovative products and solutions to give our customers an edge in the increasingly competitive field of cannabis cultivation.”
About Dark Heart
Dark Heart’s mission is to empower growers to thrive by pioneering innovative products and services. Since 2007, Dark Heart has been a leader in cannabis genetics, producing starter plants for nearly 10% of all the cannabis grown legally in California in 2020. Today, Dark Heart is also leading the industry in genetic breeding and plant pathology, working toward the establishment of new cannabis seed technologies and the eradication of the HLVd viroid and other chronic plant pathogens. For more information, visit DarkHeartIndustries.com
